Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, among others, is said to be planning to create its own download platform for apps. This is a consequence of the law of digital markets.
In a pilot project, the company is looking for developers who want to test a system whereby Facebook users who click on an ad for an app can instantly download it via Facebook. In addition, they must not first go through an external app store. Developers can choose for themselves which payment system to work with.
The company is inspired to do so by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which, among other things, should prevent monopolies on app stores. As “gatekeepers” for large platforms, Apple and Google must open their platforms to alternative payment systems in accordance with the new regulations.
Currently, mobile applications are mainly distributed through the app stores of Apple (iOS publisher) and Google (Android publisher), which also forces application developers to use their own payment system. Technically, Google is more flexible than Apple, as it allows sideloading, but the two companies have been embroiled in lawsuits for some time with app developers who no longer want to pay the extra fee for forced use of the App Store.
DMA was approved in the European Parliament last year and should address this system, among other things. The rules should go into effect in the spring of 2024. Meta has already confirmed to tech site The Verge that it is working on a pilot project. Microsoft also said earlier that it wants to create an alternative App Store in Europe.
